


Stubborn

by Dolorous_nq



Series: the many ways Regulus Black could have lived [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Pre-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Regulus Black Deserves Better, Regulus Black Lives, Regulus Black-centric, Short-Term Memory Loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23658007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dolorous_nq/pseuds/Dolorous_nq
Summary: Regulus Black comes back to Grimmauld Place to face his brother. He owes Kreacher, the least he can do is rid him of Sirius.
Relationships: Regulus Black & Sirius Black
Series: the many ways Regulus Black could have lived [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875568
Comments: 10
Kudos: 195





	Stubborn

_This is bad. This is very, very bad, this is really bad._

__

__

_Sirius Black just cannot stay at Grimmauld’s Place._

That is why Regulus is coming to see him; absolutely no other reason would make Regulus come out of fifteen years of hiding and living as muggle, other than to kick his older brother out of their ancestral home.

There are many reasons why Sirius cannot stay, and one of them is that he left. He can’t come and go as he pleases; he made his decisions years ago and he should live with it. 

Secondly, his mother’s portrait will bring the house down with her screams; he’s not sure the wards around the house will hold her screams to not be heard by muggles down the street.

And most importantly, he’ll drive Kreacher to madness.

The house-elf came to him, bawling about how the Traitorous-Murderous-Master has returned to sully the Noble House of Black forever, and how mistress’s cries of treason could not be stopped.

He owed the elf. Kreacher saved his life and has been his only friend and companion in his years of hiding. He faced the dead for Kreacher once, he could handle his brother.

He walked slowly into the house and passed his mother’s portrait in the hall, just to come face to face with Kreacher who looked miserable with his head hanging low. When he saw Regulus, however, he rushed toward him and bowed so low his nose almost touched the ground.

“Master is here! Young Master has come to save Kreacher and Mistress from wretchedness that has plagued the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black,” Kreacher said breathlessly in his rush to Regulus.

“Yes, Kreacher, but-” said Regulus in a whisper, “Is he here?”

“Yes, Master-”

“Kreacher!” A yell came from the kitchen that Regulus found so familiar, “Stop feeding my mother’s portrait more of your filth, if she could hate me more, she’ll burst into flames!”

The twisted look on Kreacher’s face and the grumble of ‘yes, sir’ told him a lot; he gave the old elf a pat on the head and turned to head to the kitchen.

His brother was at the table reading the prophet; when their eyes met, Sirius jumped to his feet so fast that he rattled the table. 

The table looked different, Regulus thought, he remembered it only having 8 seats, and now it was so big 16 people could sit there comfortably.

As he was staring at the table, Sirius crossed the room in seconds and was holding him against the wall with a wand under his jaw.

“Who the hell are you?!”

His brother had a manic look on his face that strangely reminded him of his mother when crossed. Regulus tried to clear his thought and think of something to say; _why didn’t he think of something before coming, he knew this would happen._

“It’s me, Sirius,” he said trying to sound confident, but his voice came out grating, “Have you forgot your own brother?”

“My brother is dead!” 

Sirius face disappeared for a moment and Regulus was looking at the ceiling for a second then back to his brother’s face, he realized then that Sirius was shaking him and was demanding answers.

“Uh… what?”

“Don’t mess with me! Reg died 15 years ago, my mother buried him! Who are _you_?”

“I didn’t die! You can ask Kreacher, he saved me,” answered Regulus softly, “I got ‘injured’ during a mission and was knocked out for about two weeks, and I woke-up to find that everybody thought I was dead, so I just stayed away, hiding.”

“Oh, and you didn’t think to correct them?” asked Sirius still unconvinced, “And why didn’t Kreacher say something before mother buried you?”

“It was a dangerous mission. I ordered him to not tell anyone about it, and when I woke up I told him to not tell anyone I was alive either. It was safer for everyone.”

“Why should I believe any of this?” But before Regulus could answer, he interrupted, “And don’t tell me to ask Kreacher, I can’t trust anything that gremlin says!”

“Why have you always hat-”

“Shut up!” Sirius said as he backed up a few steps, but his wand was still on Regulus, “What did mother say to you when I got sorted into Gryffindor?”

“She said she’ll take out all of your teeth and see how Dumbledore liked a toothless lion,” Regulus couldn’t help but smile at the memory.

Sirius huffed a breath that could’ve been a laugh and muttered, “Bloody hell.”

They stood together at the front door of the kitchen for a while, Sirius had lowered his wand and Regulus realized he never even drew his; _so much for being prepared_.

“Where have you been?”

“Everywhere,” answered Regulus, his voice low, “I never stay long in one place,” and for some reason he felt the need to clarify, “I, uh, have trouble remembering things sometimes, an aftereffect of my, uh, injury. My neighbors start to notice the third time I leave the stove on and almost burn down the building.”

“Injury?” Sirius said, looking almost concerned, “What do you mean ‘injury’? What sort of mission was it?”

“Yeah, it’s a very long story,” said Regulus, but he was looking at the table again. _Why is it so big?_

“Oh, is it?” said Sirius, now frustrated, “Well, I hope you’re ready to tell it, because Dumbledore will be here, any minute now, and I think he’ll be very interested to hear it.”

“What?” Regulus eyes snapped back to his brother, full of focus, “Now? Why would he come here?”

“Why, Kreacher didn’t tell you?” Sirius said, patting him on the back and leading to sit at the table, “Grimmauld Place is to be the new headquarters to the Order, and Dumbledore is coming to set-up the Fidelius Charm. But don’t worry I’m sure he’ll make sometime to hear you out.”

Regulus eyes went wider by the second, he couldn’t have picked a better time to stop by. 

After barely convincing his own brother who he is, now he has to convince Professor, Headmaster, Chief Warlock, and Leader of the Order of the Phoenix, Albus Dumbledore that not only is he the real Regulus Black back from the dead, but also that he is no longer a Death Eater. This could only end badly.

Sirius’s smile meant he knew exactly what his younger brother was thinking, “You never know, they might give you my old cell in Azkaban!”

“That’s not funny.”

“It kind of is,” said Sirius still smiling, “But I still have one more question, what are you doing here now? Why come back _now_?”

“Oh! Yeah, I kind-” tried Regulus, who definitely did not forget about his promise to Kreacher and his resolute to kick his brother out of the house, “Kreacher asked me to come, I think he is scared of you.”

“And you ask why I hate him!” Sirius said, seething, “I swear he lives off my mother’s vile words. Oh, and now he never misses a chance to let her know how I’m a mass-murdering maniac who is here just to kill him.”

“I’m sure you are not helping with-”

“With my what, Reg?” Sirius was now leaning across the table, “Are you as gullible as mother’s portrait to believe that I’m traitor and a murderer?”

“Of course not!” Regulus quickly said, “Nobody in their right mind would believe that! You didn’t run away from home and leave your family, just to go back and do exactly what they always wanted by joining The Dark Lord!”

Sirius sat back in his chair, “A lot of people did, it’s all they believed for twelve years.”

“Well they didn’t know you well enough,” Regulus mumbled, “you’re far too stubborn to be a turn-cloak.”

“Oh, and you’re not?”

“No,” answered Regulus with a genuine smile, “I think I’m just stubborn enough.”

**Author's Note:**

> The first line is a reference to Tangled's "they just can't get my nose right!" because it's one of my favorite movies
> 
> Regulus's lapses and distractions are a side-effect of the potion at the cave
> 
> In this story Regulus destroyed the locket and thought he did his part and decided to stay away from the war (cause that's what I would do, lol)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
